The unexpected Quest
by lonelylittleDevil
Summary: An adventure that reunites Kahlan with an old friend, Zedd meets old enemy, Richard shows his jealousy and gives Cara some troubles
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note : **I own nothing, this is just my own appreciation towards the show ('cause I haven't got to read the books yet ). Forgive me if you find errors here, I'm still struggling with my English. Give me some love, leave me review, and I'll live for another day to update for you… :D

Now, get to the Story :

**THE ****UNEXPECTED QUEST**

By: LonelylittleDevil

CHAPTER 1 …… A LOST STRANGER

" Ssshh ! " Richard strode from the huge river rock he'd been sitting on, bending forward in an alert pose, ready to draw the sword of truth. His eyes were narrowed, ears sharpened in every light silent step toward the ghostly shadows of the woods. Zedd was tense, standing with his hands at his sides, his long hair was messier than usual, long white strands bounced to the left and right as he turned his head at the rustling sound.

A sharp gush of wind on his back and Richard spun in reflect, swinging his sword with a seeker's force, only to find Kahlan's graceful form standing ever so close, and he let out a startled cry, stumbling backward as he drew back his sword. A soft chuckle escaped from Kahlan's lips, followed by Zedd's unnatural laugh, he was already sat back with Cara by his side, who was hiding a smile behind her strict face.

" Kahlan ! What are you doing ? I could have hurt you ! " He exclaimed, the sour face he was making only made her let out another chuckle, amused, yet also amazed at how he looked at her, a complex mixture of surprise, anger, love, and also relieve at her presence. She had only gotten back from the town with Cara, disguising to get information, while Zedd and Richard planned their next move.

" I'm sorry " she said softly, " I just want to check your defense, turns out it's still ok " she added, offering him a small smile.

Richard snorted half heartedly. " It's still ok ? " he muttered, shaking his head slightly, settling himself close to her, by the Zedd's left.

The old wizard smirked. " You should see your face. It's a good entertain in a situation like this. Could do it often " he laughed, Richard gave him a sharp glare, while Kahlan's face had turn serious, matching Cara's.

" We have to move fast " Cara began. " The mord siths are gathering army, from every village. So far, they have taken almost a hundred childs. Fourteen were found ... dead "

" Where's the compass heading ? " asked Kahlan, looking at Richard who already opened the compass on his palm. The tiny blue orb shone, gleaming in the shadow of the woods in its soft light.

Richard closed it with a soft click, and replied. " To the west "

" The west ? " Zedd frowned, his tall figure shadowing the rest of them as he stood. " The west …. It's the last place I want to go "

" Why ? " Richard asked.

" Because we are going to the most sacred place on earth " Cara answered for Zedd, who was seemingly thinking very hard of something. " The Dragon back mountains. The four mountains that join together. "

Kahlan tensed at the mention of the name, and all eyes were suddenly on her. She sat with her back straight, a mask of horror covered her face. " That's where the white temple lies, right in the middle of the mountains that circle it. The place where magic born, and also place where evil first rise. My ancestor called it the temple of doom. "

" Because noone that went there ever comes back ? " Richard guessed.

Kahlan smiled bitterly before made her reply. " Close, but not exactly the truth. Richard, noone, NO ONE, has ever reached the temple. Because no one could escape the death that lives in those four mountains. "

Zedd sat back, nodded, agreeing at Kahlan's explanation." The angel of death specially guard the place, according to the legend "

" This is where someone needs to say: let's fight till our death " Richard said lightly, smirking. But then something caught his sense, as well as the rest of them. They all stood with alert, except for Zedd who chose to sit back and watch, obviously sure that the young three could handle whatever coming without his help. Cara turned her head slightly, listening, Richard and Kahlan stood back to back, drawing their weapons.

" There " he whispered to himself before running toward the sound, leaping from the low branch to another, and pounced right at his target, pinning him on the ground, the sword of truth at his neck.

" Please, don't kill me " he begged.

Richard's grip on his collar loosen, still having his sword against his neck, he frowned as the intruder turned out to be a young boy, not more than fifteen years old, he presumed. He turned to Kahlan as she placed her hand on his shoulder, a sign for him to let go.

The young boy stammered, rubbing his neck with both hands, then sighed with relief to find nothing, glad that the sharp blade didn't damage his smooth skin. " Oh, people. That was scary " he muttered under his breath. Then he glanced around, pulling himself up as he grabbed Richard by his elbow. " You have to help me, they're chasing me. They're going to kill me. I was lost, and they came out from nowhere and just attacked me "

" Slow down, boy. Who's chasing you ? "

" Them " Cara lifted her chin, gesturing at the two men running their way. From her place, with a single swing of her arm, Kahlan shot her dagger with the handle at the front, the dull solid steel impacted with the man's forehead, knocking him to the ground with his eyes rolled painfully, face flattened against the dirt. The other man proceeded forward, a long heavy sword at his left hand. Richard twirled swiftly at the aimless attack and caught the man's wrist, knocking the sword out of his grip, and twisted his arm, forcing him to fell on his knees.

Taking the man's sword and pointed it at his neck, Richard said " Go, before I change my mind " The man gave a faint nod, but when Richard turned, he drew a small knife from inside his boot. Richard was about to act when Cara's heel landed on the poor man's face with a loud crack, causing him to cry out loud before finally ran, holding his bleeding nose, dragging his half conscious friend who was still suffering from Kahlan's unexpected action, a big red swell on his forehead. As calm as she was, the mother confessor walked gracefully, passing by the young boy who's mouth had fell open at what he just witnessed, and took back her dagger, slipping it inside the leather boot that covered her slim leg.

" Wow, that was amazing " finally he spoke, recovered from shock. Then with a lopsided grin, he asked stupidly. " Who are you people ? "

Richard rose a curved eyebrow. " I think the question is 'who in the name of the spirits are you ? "

Still having the same amazed expression on his face, he answered. " I'm Neil, from the Solace island "

" I've Never heard of it. Zedd ? "

" The hidden island, protected by magic barrier, like the boundary at the westland. " Zedd explained. " I thought it was only a myth "

" What are you doing here ? " the wizard asked, looking at him sternly , studying the young boy's suddenly scared face.

For a long two minutes, the boy fell silence. The fat drop of sweat streamed down his pale cheek, following the line of his face, down his neck. With a single deep breath, he answered. " I ran, looking for help. My master is in trouble and if I don't get back with help soon, he might be killed "

Cara stepped infront of him, taking the big long sword from Chris's grip and handed it to the boy. " Then you better hurry. Go " she said in a low monotonous tone.

He took the sword, and almost fell on his knees if not for Richard's strong arm that caught him. " You've never hold a sword before, have you ? " The boy looked at him sheepishly and shook his head.

" There's never been a fight in our place, not until the arrival of the dark wizard and his men. They came and claimed our lands. My master is in his capture, we have to save him ".

" Boy, you're on your own. We have our own mission and we are absolutely not going to abandon it for you " Cara prompted before exchanging look with Zedd. " We have to get going, there is no time to waste "

" We'll help you "

Cara glared at Richard, she knew he would say that. The beautiful mord sith was seemingly irritated by the seeker's one side decision. " Are you mad ? the faith of the world depends on you, there isn't time for this. This boy can go and get himself a jobless person to help him out, and _we_ need to go to the west before the evil forces destroy this world, _seeker_ " she pointed out with a little pressure at the last word, her eyes were full of persistence.

" Who's going to help him ? Did you see what just happened ? those men could have hurt him, or worse, if we're not here to help "

" Besides, how can I save the world if I cannot even help this boy ? or his master ? he, and the people there might become our alliance. We're not abandoning our mission, we just ... postpone it. And I have a feeling we need to go with him, a seeker's sixth sense " he added, there was a hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth as he spoke. " Trust me on this, all of you " he saw Cara was trying her best not to scowl, but still, he could hear her muttering under her breath as she stormed away. " You and your stupid noble act ! "

Zedd glanced at Kahlan, while Richard patted the boy on the back, knowing the result of the silent talk between the old wizard and the mother confessor.

" Hurry up, what are you waiting for, end of the world ? " Cara shouted from the front where she had walked ahead of them, carrying her bag on her right shoulder, still looking upset with the decision, but proceeded nevertheless.

" Is she always like that ? " the boy's eyes were on the mord sith as he asked.

Richard smirked. " Oh, you have seen nothing yet "

" And she is gorgeous " He gestured at Kahlan, smiling. At this, Richard snapped his hand away from the boy's back.

" Go to the front, you need to lead us the way " he said, pointing at the front where Cara had been on the lead. _Some boy…_

The boy shrugged. " With her ? She's pretty, but … "

Richard's eyes practically screamed 'GO !' , and the boy gulped silently, half running toward Cara. The mord sith didn't even say a word, but her glare itself enough to chill his bones. He smiled nervously at her, from behind, Kahlan heard the boy was trying to talk to her, and she could see clearly that Cara's hands were curled into fists, and she couldn't help but smile, thinking how it must've been hard for her not to land those white knuckles on the boy's face. Richard notice this too, and he suppressed a chuckle, looking at Kahlan.

In double steps, Zedd was ahead of them, catching up with Cara and the boy. " Hey, is there any nice food in your place ? " he asked the young boy, wiggling his brows. Richard was very close to roll his eyes, beside him, Kahlan put a calm face, but both were thinking the same thing as they marched toward their companions.

End of Chapter 1


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note **: First of all, I'd like to give my thanks to Rosewing86 who made the wonderful editing, I owe you ^_^. Secondly : Thank you for all my reviewers (including those reviewed for Oath for my lady): Rosewing86, lotsoflove36,luckyduck,Pixy101, Forever Rk, soapygirl1989, NinjaSheik, Lord Darken Rahl, and for those who put this into your subscription and make it your favurite : Pinkphanter22, liliKan, Dreamygirl1264, everybody, I love you all ! This is my new year gift for you, and I'd love to read your review, it'll make my day !

CHAPTER 2 ………………. THE SOLACE ISLAND

The thick stuffy sea air blew in heavier with each gust, giving the sail a strong push each time. The sun was overhead, sending its heat from the cloudless sky. A few trickles of sweat ran down Richard's neck, rushing like a river along his tan, muscular chest and onto his strong arms, as he paddled on the back side of the boat. Neil was paddling on the other side, his back was to Cara, who was perching like an eagle, her eyes closed, but still aware of everything going on. Kahlan sat behind Richard with her arms wrapped around her knees, trying her best to look at anything else besides the Seeker. They had been sailing for a day and a half, rested only at night when they let the wind did all the work. The sea was calm and quiet, and they were all thankful for that. The boat was holding its maximum weight and would certainly sink if even a small wave pushed on it.

"Zedd, we could use some help here!" Richard said pausing for a minute with his hands resting on the paddles. Neil had already stopped ten minutes before him, trying to calm the sharp rise and fall of his chest. The white haired wizard's only reply was a quiet scoff. His eyes remained closed and his long legs crossed, taking no head of the seeker's request.

"To be honest Zedd, you're the one that taking up most of the space. Not to mention how heavy you are, so I would highly appreciate a little concern from you"

The boat became unstable as Zedd tried to reposition himself. "I'm just an old man, what could you possibly expect from me?" he said, opening his eyes to look at Richard. The Seeker laughed sourly at his reason for everything. "Now be quiet and paddle. Consider it as exercise for your arms." Zedd finished, settling himself into a more comfortable position.

Richard was about to reply when Neil suddenly stood, carefully balanced himself and said, "There's no need to paddle anymore, we've made it!" The Seeker frowned and scanned their surrounding only seeing a never ending blue water. There was not a seagull, or any other bird above them either. " I don't see anything." he said, after scanning the horizon.

"I can feel it." whispered Kahlan, closing her eyes for a full second before opened them again, only to find Richard staring at her.

"Look!" she said, pointing at Neil who was stretching out his arm, flattening his palm against seemingly nothing, when the magical barrier was unexpectedly revealed. The soft glow of white light created a huge magnificent orb circling the island that suddenly appeared before their eyes.

"The Solace island, just as I imagined." Zedd whispered with amazement. He was about to use his Mira when Neil stopped him.

"Don't use that." He said, forcing the old wizard to pull his long arm back. The beautiful blue Mira glowed brighter and vibrated in his palm. This was something that had never happened before.

"If you use that, you can open the barrier, but your Mira will turn into dust a second after." The boy added, taking out something from inside his robe that resembled Mira, except that its light wasn't blue. It was a bright red and glowed even brighter when it hit the barrier, creating an opening. When this happened Zedd opened his right palm and an invisible surge of power pushed the boat through the hole in the barrier, and onto the shore. The white barrier closed perfectly behind them as soon as they where completely through.

"You can do that and you let me paddle the whole time?" Richard shook his head, clearly annoyed by the wizard's humored look. Kahlan fought back a chuckle and leaped off the boat after him. Neil was holding out his hand to Cara, obviously blind to the Mord Sith's dislike of him. With a grunt, she tapped her boots on the side of the boat, ignoring the boy, and jumped off swiftly, landing on her toes and proceeded to marched to the front. She stopped abruptly after a few steps as an arrow landed right before her legs. This was followed by fifteen armed men that came out of nowhere and circled them.

"Hold it!" A man said, who was wearing a dark robe. He stepped to the front, his face covered by the hood. Upon seeing Kahlan he paused, studying her for a moment before sliding the hood from his head, revealing his face.

"Kahlan? Is that really you?" he asked

"Darius?" she replied

"Spirits! It _is_ you!" He exclaimed, smiling wildly. Suddenly, without warning, he flung his arms around the beautiful Confessor who was stunned. Zedd made no move, but his eyes looked over at Richard. He found him tense, with his hand hovering by his sword's hilt, his eyes fixed at the young man who was holding onto Kahlan so tightly that he was nearly choking her.

"I've missed you so much Kahlan!" Darius said. The Seeker cleared his throat loudly, giving Kahlan a chance to pull herself away from the bone-crushing hug.

"Master!" Neil called, fairly running to Darius who still had his hand on Kahlan's wrists, completely unaware that Richard was watching every details of his movement toward his Confessor. To Richard's dismay, Kahlan seemed to be fine with it. Richard could even see a small smile at the corner of her lips. _Who the hell is this man? _He thought quite annoyed. Darius turned his gaze at Neil, the young boy beamed at him, clearly joyful at his presence.

"Master, you're safe." He breathed. "I came back with help, but … but you're alright. Did they let you go?"

"So that's why you've been missing? Neil, I've been looking for you everywhere!" Darius said, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "There's no need to worry my boy, I've took care of them."

"Good." said Cara, who had been quiet the whole time, now stepped forward with hands on her hips, giving Darius a short glance before turned her eyes towards Richard. "Now we can leave." she said coldly.

"Leave?" Darius gaped at the Mord Sith, then at Kahlan. "You can't leave, you've just gotten here. You haven't even introduce me to your friends."

Richard nodded at this. "I believe it will be more proper for us to know each other, right, Kahlan?" He said humorlessly, covering his face with the best smile he could mustered at that time. There was something unusual about the look in his face, but Kahlan couldn't pinpoint what it was, so she returned his smile, and started introducing them one by one, starting from Richard.

"And this is an old friend of mine, Darius. We met at Thandor." She finished, ended up the introduction. Darius took no time circling his arm around her shoulder, once she was done talking. Richard started to think that he was intentionally ignoring the rest of them and paid attention only at Kahlan.

"My little Kahlan, look at you, more beautiful than I have ever imagined. How long has it been? Nearly five years!" He laughed. " Come, it will be dark soon. You and your friends can rest here tonight." He added, gesturing for the others to follow. Kahlan stole a glance at Richard while Darius urged her to go by placing a hand on her back.

"I can tell they're more than just friends " Cara said in a whisper, knowing that both men by her sides, Richard and Zedd could hear. "I suggest we leave early tomorrow and get back to our mission." She continued before taking a step forward and turned around sharply to face the Seeker, who's eyes where still fixed upon Kahlan and her friend, Darius, who were walking infront of them. "You're the most pathetic seeker I've ever seen" Cara added with a smirk.

Richard glared at her. "I'm the only seeker you've ever seen in your life, Cara."

She scoffed, turning away from him, but not before she had the final word. "I would fix the expression on your face if I were you. I'm sure the Confessor would be afraid to see the Seeker ready to murder her dear friend." Taken aback, Richard froze momentarily, forcing Zedd to look at him.

"How do I look ? " he asked, pointing his forefinger at his own nose.

The old wizard forced down a smile. "You need to take a deep breath." He commented before catching up with Cara, grumbling about being hungry and wanted to take an early dinner. Richard marched after him, catching Neil's elbow, forcing the boy to stop.

"You said your master was in danger." He said through gritted teeth.

"He was. I saw him fighting a wizard and four other men, they had him cornered! He must've fought them bravely and won."

Richard sneered once Neil had turned away. "_Or there's something he's hiding…. I'm gonna find out." _He thought.

* * *

Night came with dark shadows replacing the light of day. It revealed the other side of the island, which gleaming with the exotic light of hundreds of lanterns spread around the place. A joyful melody rang through the air, people were gathering with cheerful laughter. They where sitting along long tables full with food and drinks. A party was set to honor their great leader who had successfully banished the dark wizard and his men from their peaceful island, and to welcome the guests, which of course were Kahlan and the others. Darius sat on a big wooden chair, holding a mug full of gin, talking and laughing with Zedd who was seated to Darius's right, chewing a large chunk of roasted deer in his mouth, obviously enjoying the big dinner. Richard, who was sitting on Zedd's right, glancing restlessly through the crowd, searching for Kahlan who had not showed up at the party.

"Where's Kahlan? I haven't seen her, Cara is missing too." he whispered to Zedd, who then gave an almost unintelligible reply of, "They'll be here soon."

Before stuffing even more food into his already full mouth. Zedd was right. The crowd suddenly split into two, creating a way for five girls who were wearing the same red color dresses. Behind them was Cara, who looked very elegant in a dark red and black dress. Her hair was styled in a beautiful pattern, one long curl on the side and if not for the sharp glare she was giving everyone and the fake smile she was forcing, she would have looked perfect. But it wasn't Cara who caused Richard to stand unconsciously, his breath caught in his throat,

It was Kahlan.

She wore a simple white dress made from a soft linen material that bounced wildly with each of her steps. Her dark silky hair was tied with the silver ribbons and rested gracefully down her right shoulder, a few white flowers decorated the soft locks. Another flower was placed above her left ear, creating a half circle crown that suite her perfectly. The smile that graced her rosy cheeks completed it all. She was astonishingly dazzling and Richard gulped soundly. How often had he seen her in white? Yet, the way she looked today, clearly told him that heaven was real. He could have sworn he saw a glow around her, taunting him to go closer and claim her as his own.

Cara settled herself beside him, muttering something about 'I'm a mord sith, and I swear you will pay for all this troubles you caused me, seeker. I can't believe they forced me to wear this." She huffed, clearly annoyed by the men who were staring. Not to mention Neil, who suddenly decided to sit right next to her. Zedd pulled Richard by the elbow, forcing him to sit back while he leaned in and whispered roughly against the seeker's ear.

"Close your mouth Richard. You're drooling over the plate!"

Richard shut his mouth at this, and was about to go to Kahlan when Darius went to her side, taking her hand and kissed her temple. He whispered praises to the beautiful confessor and asked her for a dance. Richard could hear she tried to refuse, but the man insisted, hooking his elbow with hers, and started doing the traditional couple spin.

"I've been looking for you for more than a year before I ended up here. And now, here you are. Thank the spirits." Darius offered with a smile.

Kahlan shrugged. "How did you ended up here?"

"That's a long story. Stay, and I'll tell you everything." He surprised her by whispering in her ear. She was about to get an excuse when thankfully, Richard came and asked for her. She didn't notice the sharp glares between those two as Darius handed her to Richard and went back to his chair, taking a big sip from his mug.

"Your friend seems to claim you for himself." Richard breathed against her face, pulling her closer at the change of the music and inhaled the sweet smell of her, making him light headed.

"He's just being nice like he always has." She replied softly. "He taught me lots of things in Thandor."

"You like him." Richard stated.

Kahlan smiled at this before saying, "Yes, like my own brother."

That one word that was enough to calm him, and he let out a sigh of relief at the mention of the word 'brother'. But when he glanced over at Darius, he knew that man didn't think of her as a mere 'sister'. After a few moment, the music stopped, and they broke apart. As if to be expected, Darius came back and urged Kahlan to sit by his left, a place he had reserved just for her. She had no choice, since Cara was taking the seat next to Richard. The Seeker went back to his seat with heavy steps, irritated by the man who was acting nowhere near a 'brother' around Kahlan. If only there had still been space, he might have had a reason to take Kahlan with him.

"Don't look at me." Cara hissed. "You're the one who brought us here, now take the consequences like a man."

"Relax Richard, you're scaring me." Zedd muttered, handing him a glass of water. The Seeker took the gin instead, emptying the mug in a single gulp.

Cara rolled her eyes. _"This is going to be a long night."_ she thought, plucking a grape from her plate and putting it in her mouth.

End of Chapter 2

So, that's the 2nd Chapter. Tell me what you all think. Give me some love……


	3. Chapter 3

A/N : Sorry for the long wait. I've had loads of problems thrown at me last week *heavy sigh* but I cope. So here's another Chapter (again, My special thanks to Rosewings86 who's willingly help me with the editing. U rock !)

Disclaimer : I don't own LOTS, only admiring…..

**CHAPTER 3 **

**Enemy**

"Awake now, Seeker ? It's about time." Cara's sinister voice was the first thing he heard as he opened his eyes. Blinking a couple of times to adjust at the morning light, he shook his head at the sight of the Mord Sith, who stood by the door frame, groaning at her early appearance. He glanced over at the other bed in the room, Zedd was already up.

"I've never thought you would actually care enough to wake me, Cara." Richard said smirking, taking a slight amusement from her sour face as she exhaled sharply at his comment.

She crossed her hands over her chest, eyes fixed at the Seeker.

"Get yourself ready, there's something we need to talk about. Zedd is waiting outside." she said coldly, moving a hand on her hips as she walked back outside. Richard grabbed a clean shirt and went for a quick bath before catching up with her. He thought about lots of things, while taking a bath, but mostly about the Mother Confessor. After sharing a dance with him, she was off to sit with Darius, and unfortunately Richard didn't get another chance to talk to her the rest of the night.

Outside, Zedd was eating the breakfast that was set on top of a square stone table, his mouth crunching the fried fish head. Cara was only drinking tea, her eyes drawn to the old wizard in front of her once in a while, and she winched at the sight of his appetite that seemingly never die off.

"Ah, Richard. Come take a seat." He said, as Richard approached.

"They made a very nice soup." he added, finishing the last bite of his food. Richard looked at Zedd, then at Cara before he glanced around.

"Where's Kahlan?" he asked, pulling up an empty chair for him to sit on.

"She's fine, Richard. " Zedd answered, taking a sip of his tea. "Now eat and listen. According to the myth, which of course has proven to be true, this island was first found by the third descendant of Aydindril. He's the one who placed the barrier to hide it during the dark age. He brought thirty people here to guard 'the third eye', which, I believe hidden somewhere in this island." Richard listened with eagerness while scooping the mushroom soup from his bowl. "What's a 'third eye?" Richard asked, placing his already empty bowl onto the table.

"It will let you see beyond the unseen. If you possess it, you can see through the deepest depth of darkness. It holds a very powerful magic. I was once said that Aydindril went to the underworld and made it back safely with the help of this thing. And if we're going to the west, to the Dragonback Mountain, we need to get it." He finished, taking another sip of his tea before glanced over at Cara. Richard followed his gaze, looking at the Mord Sith who stood with her back to them. She turned her head a little to look at Richard.

"I think that's what the dark wizard and his friends came here for. But I'm not so sure the Confessor's friend has 'taken care of them' like he said. There are some odd things about Neil's story." Richard straightened his back at her words.

"I knew there's something wrong with that man." he said, full of eagerness. "Have you tell Kahlan about this?" he asked both Zedd and Cara. "Where is she anyway ?" Cara rose an eyebrow, a visible smile twitching on her lips.

"She was off early in the morning." she answered lightly. Then, almost teasingly, she added, "With an old friend." There was a slight amused look on her face as she watched Richard's eyes widened at what he heard.

"Well, I think it's time for me to get some information about where the third eye is hidden." and with that Zedd was off, followed by Cara, leaving the Seeker alone with his troubled thoughts.

* * *

"You're a lot better than I remembered." Darius smirked. With a small tug, his horse stopped, spluttering. Kahlan jumped off of her horse, giving it two light taps on the neck, a smile on her face.

"I wonder, do you still remember our fighting lesson?" He suddenly asked, charging forward, aiming his fist at Kahlan. She ducked under his arm, twirling around until she was behind him, chuckling softly. He turned around quickly, throwing yet another fist, and caught Kahlan's hand with the other one, but she slipped off easily. He lunged once more, but she was fast enough to avoid the attack, rolling on the ground before she leapt above him and hit him on the back.

The fight went on, while from the other side of the meadow, Richard, who was looking for Kahlan, finally saw the scene. His lips pressed into a thin line as he watched the two friends practicing their skills. He had an odd feeling, somewhere in the back of his mind, that urged him to go over there, while a small voice in his head told him to stay away. _Its_ _not often she has a chance to be with an old friend, and she seems to be enjoying having him around. Perhaps I should let them be._

Just before he made a hard decision to turn away, Kahlan caught on to his presence and called for him, resigning from the duel.

"Richard, how long have you been in there?" she asked as she walked over to him, wiping the sweat on her forehead with the back of her hand.

"A while." he answered shortly before added. " Long enough to see you're not giving him a real fight, you could have beat him easily, why didn't you?"

"It's not a good thing to embarrass someone at his own house." was her simple and only reply. She waved a hand at Darius who was coming their way before turned her gaze back at Richard. There was a strand of hair on her forehead that Richard was about to brush away, his hand already lifted halfway, when Darius called from behind her and she turned her head to look at him. The Seeker pulled back his hand, clenching his jaw as the man did what he was about to do a moment ago. This time he didn't bother to form a smile for the Confessor's old friend, not even a small nod at his presence. He simply stood there, and stared.

Darius offered him a smile. "It's an honour to have a Seeker here, I've heard a lot about you from Kahlan." he began. His eyes, again, looking at her with a visible adoration. Richard had noticed this ever since they arrived on the island. To Richard, it seemed to have grown worse, a lot worse.

"She also told me about your quest, I'm really sorry I cannot help. I've never heard of 'the third eye' before." He said, before Richard could reply, he added. "But I can show you where you might find it. "

There was a long pause before Richard made a reply. "That would be great, we appreciate your help." Without even realising it, Richards hand had found Kahlan's softer ones, feeling her delicate fingers in his grasp. "We need to tell Zedd and Cara" he added.

"Well, then. I'll see you later at my place." and with a final glance at Kahlan, Darius withdrew.

"I can tell he's hiding something." Richard muttered after he left. Kahlan sighed at this.

"I know." she replied. Richard paused, pulling her to a stop.

"You know?" He grimaced. "If he's dangerous, then you shouldn't be alone with him. If something hap-"

"Nothing's going to happen, Richard." she interrupted, pulling her hand away from his.

"I thought we agreed not to let your feelings for me get in the way again. We need his help to find the 'third eye', and we're not going to get if you keep on being rude to him just because me." she said irritably.

"Rude? He's the one that keeps on taking you away in purpose. Did you see the way he looked at me?" Kahlan shook her head slightly at this.

"Have you seen the way you look at him?" she asked back. Richard opened his mouth to reply, but he swallowed back, knowing she was right.

"I'm always afraid that because of me, you will fail." she sighed again, closing her eyes.

"My duty is to make sure you're save and succeed in your mission Richard. And if I really get in your way, I'm afraid you might have to find another confessor." she added wearily. Richard stared at her with wide eyes, not believing at what he just heard. He was about to make a reply when she cut him off abruptly.

"I've made a promise I will never leave you, don't make me break it, Richard. I don't want to die from guilt." _I'm sorry….. I have to make sure you'll be save, Richard._

* * *

Cara stopped short in her tracks and spun around to find a startled Neil chuckling nervously at her sharp senses. She cocked her head to the side, glaring at the young boy.

"What are you doing?" She asked in a dangerously low voice. He swallowed soundly before saying, "I heard the white wizard's asking about a sacred place, something about magic, and treasures. I think I know where it is." She narrowed her eyes instinctively, studying the boy for a moment before giving him a faint nod.

"Fine, show us the way." she paused for a second, releasing her hand from the agiel.

"Next time make sure you don't stalk me if you want to talk. Or else I might accidentally kill you." she warned and without word, she turned toward Zedd who was walking few feet in front of her.

"The boy has something to say." she told the white haired wizard. Neil ran a hand on his bare arm, lifting his head to look up at the tall wizard.

"I know a sacred place where a treasure might be hidden." He said carefully. "But we must ask permission from my master to go there." A quiet scoff escaped from Cara's lips before she could do anything to stop it.

"Why do you keep calling him master? As far as I know, you were here longer than he was. You were born here, he's only a visitor."

"Master saved my life, and the others." The boy countered. "If not for him, we would all be dead. Me, and five others crossed the barrier three years ago, then a group of pirates attacked us. My master saved us. And he also saved us from the dark wizard."

"Forgive this lady, my boy. She was just … curious." Zedd offered a smile at the young boy.

"Take us to your master then." Neil gave him a small nod, when they saw Richard and Kahlan marching toward them.

"We have to go." Cara said, her gaze falling upon Richard, who had a pain expression on his face. She rose an eyebrow at him. "Is everything ok, Seeker?" Cara asked a bit teasingly.

Richard intentionally waited until Zedd, Kahlan and Neil started walking before he stood by the mord sith. He gave her a meaningful glare, muttering under his breath, "For a Mord Sith, you have a very annoying sense of humour." she almost laughed at this.

"Not everyday I can see you regret your decision." and with that, she swayed lightly toward the other, leaving the angry Seeker to catch up.

It was nearly afternoon when they arrived at the woods. They had left their horses down the hill and continued the journey by foot. The field was difficult to explore, many giant rocks were scattered around, and there were few smoky holes that spouted their heat when the group walked nearby. The place was oddly quiet. There was no sound of birds or any other animals, not even small insects.

"I thought hot springs only existed if there's volcano nearby." Richard muttered out loud, trying not to look annoyed when Darius offered a hand to Kahlan. It was quite disturbing though. Kahlan normally made a face and would say, 'I can take care of myself'. whenever Richard tried to help her. He was actually hoping that she would do the same to Darius, but unfortunately, she took his hand and let him pulled her up to a huge rock that stood in their way.

Zedd took a small stone from the ground before he turned to Richard. "They're not hot springs, but fireholes, created by a very powerful wizard." He threw the small stone into one of the holes, and a huge flame burst out few meters away like the dragon breath. Neil yelped, nearly fell down if not for Cara who caught him by the elbow.

"Watch your step." she said irritably.

"There might be traps, we have to be careful." Zedd warned, leading the group along with Darius. They all proceeded with caution. Cara was only one step behind Zedd and Neil was just a few feet away from her. Richard, who was walking at the back suddenly stopped.

"We're not alone." he whispered to Kahlan as she came to his side.

"I know, but we have to keep moving. I don't think it's a good idea to stay here when it's dark." she replied.

"We're here!" Darius called from the front, and they rushed forward, joining the rest of the group. In front of them was a dark cave, covered by wild plants, hanging low from above. Darius was the first to go in. Before Neil could follow him, Cara caught his arm.

"Is this the same cave where you saw your master fought the dark wizard?" The boy gave a small nod, and she let him go, while she stood at the entrance with Zedd, waiting for Richard and Kahlan.

"Something is not right." she said once they were there.

"We still have to go in. Just be careful." Richard said before he lead them in. Darius and Neil were already waiting inside, both were holding torches. Neil gave his torch for Richard to hold. The damp air in the cave welcome them as they went deeper inside. Apparently, at the end of the turn, there was no longer a path, just a solid wall, standing stubbornly before them. Zedd came to the front, chanting one spell after another, but it remain unmoved, even by the blow of his magic.

"Wait, I don't think that's the door." Richard stepped forward. His eyes roaming over the cave, and he caught something. Cautiously, he bent down, using the torch to see better. Right where they stood, there was a symbol carved neatly on the floor, covered by dirt and dust. Beneath it, were written a few words.

"It's using the same language as the book of counted shadow." Richard mumbled, mostly to himself. The others watched with excitement as he read the words quietly.

"We have to use blood." he said, looking at Kahlan. "Give me your blade." Using Kahlan's dagger, Richard made a shallow cut on his palm, allowing his blood to fill the symbol. Once it was fully covered by his blood, the floor started to crumble, and everyone backed away .

The floor cracked, it was a solid stone door that suddenly opened, revealing a spiral staircases under it, creating a path far in the depth of earth.

"Well done, Seeker." a voice suddenly emerged out of nowhere, followed by a dark shadow coming from behind them. "I was starting to become desperate as I couldn't figure out how to open that door."

Everyone went alert, the sword of truth created a sharp gush of air as Richard pulled it in reflect, his hands holding the hilt tightly. Kahlan was ready with her blades, and Cara with her agiel, her weight on the back of her legs. But Zedd was the most startled one. He froze momentarily as the dark figure came to a clear form in front of them. The old wizard held his breath, his eyes were wide as saucers.

"We meet again, Zedd." the dark wizard said coldly. "What's wrong? Did I scared you?" he mocked.

"You're suppose to be dead." Zedd croaked, not believing at what he saw.

The dark wizard laughed wickedly. Without warning, he lifted his hand, and a strong rope tied Zedd's wrists, before his body slammed to the wall with a loud crack.

End of Chapter 3

**Author's rant** : Ok, Let me make this short and sharp. I've got lots of story alerts and what's irritating me is that : Many of you who read this story never leave me any review. So, to get me going and write another chapter, give me some love guys ! I'm getting a little bored here !

Love,

LonelyLittleDevil


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer :** I don't own LOTS ….

**Author's note** : My special thanks go to Rosewing86 for her wonderful editing, And thank you for all of you who gave me the encouraging reviews, you're the one who keep me going with this story. Bloodsucker94 : Don't worry, I have my own plan for Cara. This, however, is a short Chapter and I'm not so pleased with it. Hopefully with your reviews, I will be able to make up for this one and give a better reading for the next chapter…

CHAPTER 4………………TAKEN

Zedd's body slammed against the wall with a loud crack. It happened so fast that nobody could do anything to stop it, not even Zedd himself. In one short second, the same invisible force hit Richard and Cara, throwing them few feet away. Kahlan aimed her daggers quickly before throwing at the Dark Wizard, in a shot that would have certainly killed, when something hit her in the back of the head and everything went black. Darius caught her before she hit the ground and whispered, "I'm sorry, Kahlan."

"Your work here is done. You can take her with you. The rest … are mine." said the dark wizard.

Richard woke in a damp cell. The cold floor rubbed against the chains that bound him, making an awful rattling noise as he pulled himself up. Cara was also chained to the floor, beside her was Neil, who was still unconscious.

"Where are we?" Richard croaked.

"Where do you think?" Cara returned coldly.

"They took my sword." Richard muttered under his breath, after realizing that the Sword of Truth was nowhere near him.

"And my agiel as well." Cara added. "They have Zedd and Kahlan. Although I doubt they were placed together."

"What do you mean?" Richard grimaced. Cara rose an eyebrow at him, as if the answer was obvious.

"The Confessor's friend is not here. I bet he's behind all this." Richard's eyes widened. The thought of her being taken away from him was very unpleasant. A burning rage rose in his chest and he tried to free himself from the chain. It was pointless, not only was the chain too strong, but it was also charmed with dark magic.

"Damn!" Richard exclaimed, throwing the chain against the solid floor with a clank. With a huff, he rested his head against the cold stone wall and exhaled sharply. For a long moment, he listened to his own racing heartbeat, trying to figure a way out. The damp night air filled his lungs, the torch creating a dim light inside the chamber and the thin smoke from its fire evaporated in the air.

"They're coming." Cara whispered. There were few heavy steps approaching. The sound echoed in the chamber and the long ghostly shadows came into view as the three figures came to a stop in front of them. The Dark Wizard sneered at Richard. Behind him, the two men were dragging Zedd who was seemingly unconscious.

"Zedd! What did you do to him?" Richard demanded, the chains rattling as he pulled himself up abruptly, dragging Cara along.

"Oh, he's alive. But not for long." The Dark Wizard said, smiling wickedly at him. With a slight move of his finger Richard was freed from the chain, and held firmly by a spell that was forcing him to walk unwillingly toward the wizard.

"The Seeker of Truth." The Dark Wizard mocked. "You will do something for me before I kill you. You will get me the third eye."

* * *

"You're awake. How's your head?" Kahlan sat bolt upright at the sound of Darius's voice and found herself on the bed, inside a large room filled with a flowery scent. Her blue eyes wandering around as she tried to remember what had happened. She felt a hot breath on her neck and nearly jumped off of the bed when she found Darius's face was dangerously close to hers.

"Don't be afraid, Kahlan. It's just me." he said softly, pulling himself up so he was laying beside her on the bed. His head was propped up on one hand, while the other reached for her face. His fingertips almost brushed her cheek when she abruptly crept down the bed, away from him.

"Darius, what are you doing?" she asked coldly, narrowing her eyes. She went to the door, but it was locked.

"Why am I here ? Where's Richard and the others?" Darius winched at Richard's name and he walked toward her. Slowly, and deliberately. His eyes roamed over her with a deep darkness that she had never seen before. Kahlan backed away until she was trapped against the wooden door.

"I've missed you, so much Kahlan. You have no idea what I've been through just to find you." he said, barely audible. "Now that you're finally here, can you please stop worrying about the Seeker?" he said as he brought her into a hug. "I love you." he whispered, his voice filled with lust as his breath quicken with the proximity.

For a short second Kahlan was stunned. Her eyes were widened in shock and her body went stiff. Did she heard him correctly? For as long as she could remember, Darius has always been very closed to Dennee. She had always thought that it was Dennee that he loved, not her. Had she been mistaken? She pulled away before he could bring his lips to hers. Her face was somewhere between shock and fright. Bending slightly, she reached for her boots, but her daggers were not there anymore.

"You're save with me. You don't need any weapons, Kahlan." Darius prompted.

Kahlan gulped silently. "I have always thought of you as a brother Darius. I didn't know….."

"How could you possibly not have known? I spent lots of my time asking Dennee about what you like and what you don't, trying to find out what and how to make you happy. I nearly got killed by a wizard and ended up being his slave when I went to look for you" he snapped, interrupting her, his voice raising. "I was loosing hope Kahlan, when finally fate brought you to me. Don't you see? I'm the one you can live with. You won't overpower me."

"Did you plan this?" Kahlan asked, shaking her head, backing away as he tried to move closer still. "I trusted you." she added in a whisper before storming towards the door.

"What happen to Richard, Zedd and Cara?" she demanded, as he tried to block her way. "I have to find them."

"What is it between you and the_ bloody_ Seeker?" he asked in a cold, irritated tone.

Kahlan looked at him firmly, returning his cold gaze with one of her own. And with a single breath, in a firm, absolute tone, she answered. "I love him. With all my life and everything there is in me."

A low growl escaped from Darius's throat. Kahlan looked away from him, running to the door only to be blocked by him again. She clenched her fist and aimed it to his face, while kicking his leg. He twisted to the left, and Kahlan's fist hit a thin air. _I have to get out of here. I need to find Richard. S_he thought desperately_._

"Don't go, Kahlan. Don't make me force you to stay. You know what I can do." he warned and pleaded.

Squaring her shoulders, Kahlan raised her hand. "It's a risk must take." she declared, gripping his neck while at the same time he grabbed her wrist.

Kahlan struggled with her power, focusing on confessing Darius while he was draining her strength. His grip on her wrist tightened and she felt her strength decreasing terribly fast. A soft grunt escaped her lips as she fought to maintain control. She knew she was fighting a loosing battle. Her eyes shifted from inky black pool into the calming blue, then to inky black again before finally turned back into blue. She didn't have much strength left to make a confession as Darius had drained her, taking her strength and made it his own. Within a couple of breaths, she collapsed onto his arms.

"I'm sorry … You gave me no choice, Kahlan. I am going to make you mine." He breathed upon her face before lifting her onto the bed and kissed her passionately.

End of Chapter 4

Yep, that's all I have for now. Remember : Your reviews will enlighten me to make a better chapter. So : Give me some love, love, love


	5. Chapter 5

Hey, guys. Sorry for the long wait. This is another chapter, unedited. Please R & R

Disclaimer : oh, you know it ....

CHAPTER 5 ……….. WARRIOR

Richard was taken into the center of the chamber, where a circle of green light emanated from a steel chess that was held by four shiny silver craft on each edges. The chess was placed at the top of a red marble tomb, its smooth surface reflected the flame from the torch, making it looked like liquid waves of blood swarm, glowing faintly in the wrap of old magic.

" Take the chess for me " The dark wizard ordered to Richard, who was still under his binding spell.

Richard shot him an icy glare as he clenched his teeth, trying to break free from the spell, while his feet brought him closer to the tomb. " You're a wizard. Why don't you get it by yourself ? " he said through gritted teeth, still struggling to stop his legs from moving, but they kept dragging him forward.

The wizard made a sound between half laughed and scoffed. " Isn't it obvious ? Neither I or Zedd could touch it. It refused us, just as I was told by my elder. Only a true warrior could lay a hand on it " He flicked his forefinger, and Richard came to a stop one feet away from the tomb.

" I assume you might have a chance. By the spirits, you're afterall … the seeker of truth " he added with a slight mock. " Now you can prove whether or not you're a true warrior "

" Get the thing for me, Seeker "

* * *

Cara shifted on the floor, feeling the weight of the chain as she rubbed her temple. Neil was groaning weakly beside her as he started to wake. Holding his head in both hands, he muttered. " what happened ? "

" Welcome back. I thought you were dead, boy. Took you so long to wake up " Cara said, holding his gaze.

Neil coughed once, glancing around before he finally saw Zedd, laying flatly on the floor with bruises on his hands and a trail of dried blood at the corner of his mouth.

" Is he Allright ? " Neil asked worrily, pulling himself closer to the white haired wizard, the chains rattling around him.

" Probably not " Cara answered, a frown on her face.

Just as she looked back at Zedd, his eyes suddenly opened, and Neil gasped beside her as she held her breath. " Zedd ? "

" Be quiet. " he whispered, pulling himself up and walked toward them, releasing them both from the chain with a single spell.

Cara stared at him. " Were you pretending to be unconscious ? " she asked, barely moved her lips. " Why did you have to wait for so long ? "

" We cannot only use power to fight the crazy old folk. And I have to wait until I have enough strength to free you both " replied Zedd.

" You know the wizard ? " she asked, following Zedd and moved stealthily along the cold chamber.

" His name is Goliath. He claimed himself to be the ruler of all wizards, using dark spell to create chaos among our elder. I have no idea he's still alive " He paused, flattening his back against the wall and Cara did the same, pulling Neil along. At the center of the chamber, Richard was stepping toward the tomb with his hand stretched onto the steel chess. A flash of white light erupted from the chess as his hand touched its surface. The four silver crafts that held it in place opened with a soft click, and the seeker lifted the chess away from the tomb.

Cara's sharp eyes caught two guards standing at the corner, behind them were the sword of truth and her agiels, heaped up on a pile of woolen cloth by the floor. From the exit, she could see the long shadows of two more guards, standing with their hands holding their weapons.

" I can get the guards " she whispered. Zedd nodded at this.

" You stay here " Cara ordered, giving Neil a sharp glare.

Richard held the chess firmly in his hands and paused for a moment. The pressure he felt was gone and he realized that he was no longer under the Goliath's binding. The dark wizard was aware of the change, and he raised a hand to summon the box from Richard's grip.

Zedd blocked his magic with one of his own, creating a shield of energy from his palm.

" Zedd ! " Richard called with relief at the sight of the white haired wizard. One of the guards lunged at him and he dodged, rolling on the floor and kicked the sword out from his grip.

" Richard, here ! " Cara threw him the sword of truth and he caught it easily, giving her a slight nod before swinging the sword toward the guard, with one hand still holding the chess.

The cried of agiels as they pressed against the skin of the short guard mixed with the sharp clank of sword against sword. Cara's elbow buried on the man's limb, causing him to stumble backward, giving her a chance to block another attack from her back. They were tough guards, stronger and faster than the Dragon corps, one of them had managed to knock one of her agiels out from her grip and it flew to the far corner of the chamber. As she drew back the other agiel to avoid the sword from cutting her wrist, from the corner of her eyes she saw Richard had killed the other guard.

_There were four. Where's the other one ? _Before she knew, the tall guard came out from the shadow with a sword aimed at her back, while the other two kept her busy. She managed to kill one of them and was about to turn when she heard the sound of a sword tore a flesh.

Neil had suddenly ran into the battle and used his own body to shield her from the attack. The sword went through his chest with a sickening sound before the guard pulled it back forcefully.

On the other side, Zedd fell onto the floor, a thick warm blood dripped from his nose, while Goliath backed few steps away after their magic collided. Richard was soon stood before Zedd and helped him to stand back, Goliath wasted no time summoning the chess to him. And in a split second, he was holding it in his hands.

Cara ducked under the guard's arm, striking the agiel to his heart. The tall guard lunged forward as his friend drew his last breath, roaring angrily at her. Neil's blood was still dripping from his sword. The mord sith escaped easily from him, her boot tapped against the wall as she jumped over him. Growling angrily, the guard swung his sword toward Neil.

The boy shut his eyes, still having his hands pressed on his wound, his blood spilled like a river. He heard the clanking sound and the cried of agiel right above him and he shut his eyes even tighter. Warm, graceful fingers pressed on his shoulder and he opened his eyes to find Cara's angry pair stared at him.

" I've told you to stay " She hissed, lifting his hand to look at the wound.

" Watch out ! " cried Neil, and she spun, holding the guard's sword with her agiel. She turned her head slightly at Neil, who was wavering on his legs before fell down again. " Stay the hell away from this ! " she warned the boy.

The guard had taken another sword and now he was holding double, taking the agiel with one sword, while aiming the other at her neck.

" Let's end this " she muttered to herself before knocking one of the sword out from his grip, snapping his jaw with her agiel and took the other sword from him. Within a single minute, she sliced his throat with his own sword.

There was a loud rumble right after Goliath opened the chess, and the walls were started to crumble. " It was a trick ! " The dark wizard roared angrily, slamming the empty chess onto the wall.

" You have released the hold by opening the chess. This place will be destroyed " Zedd announced with a slight mock, his hands at the ready as the dark wizard clenched his fist, pacing back and forth in frustration.

" It should be here. " he scowled. " I should've found it. Tell me, where is the third eye ?! " he asked in a harsh tone, a flash of red light shot from his hand, but it was bounced by the sword of truth as Richard stepped infront of Zedd. At the very same time, a white light crashed onto Richard's body, knocking him down to the floor. A soft glow remained on Richard's chest, where the light had crashed, and disappeared after a minute.

Richard shook his head, clearing his vision after the impact. For a short second, he stood there, looking at his own hand. " There's something inside me " he muttered, mostly to himself. There was something awe happening to him, his senses suddenly sharpened, and his vision was clearer than ever. He backed away at the sight of two floating lights went through the solid wall and disappeared. " What was that ? " he wondered, looking at Zedd.

The white haired wizard looked at him in awe, and as understanding nearly dawn, the amazement covered his face. Then, with a clear calm voice, he said. " Third eye isn't a thing. It's a spirit, and it has chose you, my boy. "

Richard's mouth fell open. " You mean … there's a spirit inside me ? What if-"

Before he could finish, Goliath sent a flash of red light to him, but Richard could easily avoid it, bending backward so that the light flew over his chest and hit the wall, creating a big hole and made the chamber crumble more. Richard gulped, his eyes caught Zedd's. He had seen the light coming and he knew exactly how to avoid it. How odd.

The rumbling was getting louder, and the stones started falling from the ceiling, the floor shaking like an earth quake and all of them fought to maintain their balance.

" This place will collapsed, we have to leave now ! " Cara shout from the exit, placing Neil's arm around her shoulder as she half dragged half carried him out. She put him down at open space, few feet away from the exit. The boy was loosing too much blood and his body was getting cold. He barely could open his eyes anymore. The mord sith tore his gaze from him and looked at the exit. There was no sign of Zedd and Richard coming out.

_Shite ! I have to go back there._ And she rushed back inside, only to got grabbed by Richard and they rolled on the floor, a red light flew pass them and hit the huge rock few meters away from the exit.

" For the spirits, next time warn me before you do that ! " Cara spat, releasing herself from Richard's arms.

Richard scoffed at her. " I've just saved your life ! "

Cara was about to reply when Richard suddenly shut his eyes and he stumbled back, holding his head.

A blurry vision suddenly invaded Richard's mind, sending him stumble as his hand shot to his hair and he shook his head violently. The heavy feeling weighted him as the vision slowly came to place, like flashes of images attached together, and in a deep - self consciousness of his, he heard the deafening scream in his ear.

_Richard !!!_

In a large room, he saw a table flipped downward, a wooden chair at the corner, shattered. The girl with raven hair rushed toward the door, kicking it with her leg to force it open. But then two strong arms grabbed her waist and pulled her firmly against his bare chest before he dragged her to the bed.

" Kahlan ! " Richard cried out loud, forgetting that he was still inside the chamber, with both palms flattened on the floor, supporting his weight, and he was panting. His head snapped, and he glanced around, his eyes roamed wildly over the place, searching for her. " I have to go, I need to find Kahlan. NOW !!! "

Zedd blocked Goliath's attack, but he fell when a big stone dropped from the ceiling, nearly smashed his head. Cara, who has been crouching infront of Richard, finally stood. " Go, I'll be helping Zedd " he said to the seeker before ran toward Zedd.

Gripping the hilt of his sword, Richard went out the chamber and ran like hell, his feet barely touched the ground. His heart slammed painfully inside his chest, as the vision of Kahlan invaded his mind once more. She was pinned on the bed, her hands pushing back Darius in desperation as the man dipped his head onto the crook of her neck. He could see her fighting to stay conscious while her strength was seemingly decreasing upon Darius's touch.

_I'm coming, Kahlan_

_By__ all the spirits, I swear I will kill that bastard !_


	6. Chapter 6

This Chapter is also unedited. Forgive me for any error(s) you might find

Rosewings86 : I still have my faith on you dear friend, cheers for this raw chapter . LOL

**CHAPTER 6 ……………. DESPERATE LOVER**

" Damn it, Kahlan ! " Darius spat, holding his stomach and pulled himself up from the floor. Kahlan had kicked him hard when he stripped her boots and trailed his fingers on her feet. Striding from the bed, she armed herself with a piece of wood from the broken armchair.

" What are you going to do Kahlan, fight me ? you could barely stand " He said, flipping the table infront of the mother confessor to get to her. Calculating an attack, Kahlan bent her right leg to support her weight, and as fast as she could, she nudged Darius with her left elbow. He evaded it as she had expected, and she used the distraction to aim the sharp wood at his neck. Surprised by her sudden attack, he backed a single step away, and the sharp wood met his face, leaving a shallow cut on his left cheek, but he managed to knock the wood out from Kahlan's grip. He wiped the blood on his cheek and let out an angry curse as Kahlan kicked the door with her leg.

Darius took a short gulp and taking off his shirt before he lunged forward, gripping her slim waist roughly and pressed her against his bare chest. Attempting to break free, Kahlan tried to pry his hands off of her, but that only made him drain her strength even more, and he could easily dragged her back to the bed. In the worse desperation of her, with both her mind and voice, she called out loud.

" Richard !!! "

* * *

Storming his way through the bushes and leapt hurriedly from one mountain rock to another, Richard's only thought was to get to Kahlan as fast as possible. There was a rattle snake that hissed angrily as he accidentally stepped on its tail. With a deadly attack, the snake jumped over him but it missed in mere inch as Richard went on, increasing his speed without even looked back at the pitiful snake that nearly got toast by the fire hole in its attempt to bite him.

The dry branches crunched by his feet as he get closer to the opening, the trees were getting lesser and the low landscape allowed him to run faster. The sweat prickling down his face, swept away by the wind as he sped like an arrow. He could see the clearing and the green carpet of the meadow ahead, and he stopped abruptly on his tracks.

They had left the horses there, tied onto the trees, but all he could find were the ropes that cut midway, and he let out a curse. " Shite ! " _He cut the ropes to free the horses. Now, how can I get to Kahlan on time ? _He gritted his teeth, the rage flooded freely inside him, burning his every senses. That was when he saw the path that he could have sworn wasn't there before, a shortcut to the palace. And without delay, he flew.

_I'm coming, Kahlan. I'm coming._

As he rushed, another image shown clearly in his mind. Darius pressed his mouth forcefully on Kahlan's neck, tasting her soft smooth skin while he straddled her hands with his own. A fierce snarl ripped from Richard's throat, followed by a deep growl from his chest.

_I'm going to kill him !!!_

The village finally came to sight, and he breathed heavily with his nose and mouth, still madly running. He passed few villagers that stared at him in awe, and yet he wasn't stopping. Suddenly, there was a woman carrying a basket full of tomatoes , crossing the road infront of him. She squealed as the basket fell from her grip, spilling the tomatoes all over the road and her mouth fell open in a deeper shock as Richard's feet smashed a few tomatoes and he tripped on the basket.

" Sorry " was what she heard from the seeker, and she nodded stiffly onto his back as he was already stormed away without looking behind. The Palace was near, and Richard's heart slammed painfully under his skin.

" Kahlan ! " He shouted loudly when he reached the gate, drawing the sword of truth with a burning rage. The metal ring filled the air. He kicked the door open and lunged into the palace, checking one room to another, only to find them empty.

He stood on the hallway, panting. His body shook violently upon the strangled rage, his fury emanated from The sword of truth, creating a glow of red light at the blade, making a howling sound that echoed along the hall.

Two men came running toward him, stopping midway to see his murderous gaze, and froze for a moment. The fat one braced himself and spoke lamely. " Ssir … you're not allowed to be here, our master – "

" Curse your master !! " Richard retorded, pointing the tip of his sword at the man's neck, causing him to gulp in fear, when his friend looked at him wide eyes, frightened. " Tell me where he is, or I slice your throat " Richard hissed, pressing his word lightly on the man's neck, a trail of blood dripped down his throat.

" We d-don't know Sir, but I – I think he might be in the other palace, at the north side of the island " He managed fearfully, his voice wavering. Richard held his gaze for a short moment and drew back his sword as he saw that he was telling the truth.

With a low – malicious growl, the Seeker was off, taking the horse the man had left outside, and rode to the north side of the island, racing with time.

* * *

The feel of Darius's hot breath on her neck broke her every self defenses and destroy her confidence, and she trembled in unfathomable fright. He had managed to keep her weekend to prevent another fight she might had. His breath quicken as he pulled the last lock of her front dress, the long white laze was thrown aside, revealing her milky skin and her dark – tempting corset.

" Sweet. Finally, you are mine " he whispered into her ears and she shut her eyes tight, trying desperately not to gain back control of her emotion, without a satisfying result. She felt like she was thrown into the foulest depth of a nightmare, where her hands were tied and a devil crawled on her skin.

Gritting her teeth, she hissed with disgust " I will never be yours "

Darius grunted, with a sickening grin, he brushed his cheek to hers, and whispered another words into her ear. " What do you think is happening now, Kahlan ? That we're sitting in a dine, having a chat about our childhood ? "

" What happened to you, Darius ? " she asked bitterly.

Tracing his finger along her face, he answered. " When your love left you without word, and a mean wizard enslaves you, this is what happen. "

" I never-"

" You're trying to buy time, aren't you ? " he pulled back, watching as her eyes snapped open. " He's not coming, if that's what you think. He probably busy fighting Goliath to death. Then after the fight, I will be able to beat the dark wizard and free myself. We can live peacefully here, you and I. The people here honor me like a King "

Kahlan let out a scoff. " Wait 'till they know what you've done "

" You won't give up, do you ? " He smiled, breathing her hair. " I like having a chat with you, but right now, there's other things I'd love to do " and with that, he stripped her from the dress, revealing the dark material under it. The white dress was thrown into a pile of discarded cloth on the floor. When Darius went to work on her corset, Kahlan brought the sharp steel from his discarded belt onto his chest. It buried perfectly into his flesh and Darius let out a cry, pulling out the short steel from his chest and growled angrily at Kahlan, who was crawling off the bed. He pulled her by the ankle and pressed his body roughly against hers.

" That's it. I've had enough !!! Now you will learn how to respect me "

* * *

The images was clearly shown in Richard's head and the pain thudding inside his chest was getting worse. The horse was galloping in its maximum speed, yet it was still not fast enough for him. He passed the shallow river, and as the low hill appeared infront of him, the white palace finally come to sight.

_Damn it ! Why does it feels further than it seems ? _He thought wearily as he raced. The migraine from his sight was mounting in his head, causing him to winch slightly, but he moved faster still. In his head, he saw Kahlan was slowly falling into unconsciousness as Darius pinned her roughly, tasting her lips.

_No !!_ He cried inwardly. _Kahlan !!!_


	7. Chapter 7

Hey, Here goes another Chapter. It's unedited, but i hope it won't be so bad.

Don't forget to review, it will make my day

**CHAPTER 7 …………. ****OUTRUN**

Goliath was pushed backward by Zedd, who cast the spell with both hands, sending a jet of pure white light from both his palms while Cara took back her other agiel. The dark wizard cursed under his breath. With a wicked smile, he shoved his hands inside his robe, and a second later, he sprayed grey powders toward Zedd and Cara.

" Cover your nose ! " Zedd warned the mord sith while swaying his hands with unnatural speed, creating a strong blew of air around him and Cara, shielding them both.

Cara dropped her hand from her face after a few seconds, breathing the clear air. " Black orchid poison " she whispered, taking a short glance at the thin smoke on the walls, followed by dark foams that melt the solid rock like a pure acid.

" You never change, Goliath. Using a dirty trick such as that " said Zedd, staring sternly at his opponent. The floor cracked with a loud rumble, and three of them fought to maintain their balance.

With a growl, the dark wizard sent a jet of red flame to Zedd, who matched his speed, sending his own flame. While they were pushing each other with the wizard's fire, Goliath threw a spell toward Cara with his other hand.

The mord sith held her ground, standing steadily without even flinched with both hands on her sides, gripping her agiels. A sneer on her face. " Your magic won't work on me " she said with a slight mock.

By the time she said the last part, a small knife appeared out from nowhere, only few inches from her face. With wide eyes, she moved in reflect, avoiding it. There was a hot sting and she knew that the knife had cut her cheek.

" Dirty trick " She muttered under her breath.

Zedd and Goliath pulled back their hands at the same time, and the wizard's fire lashed out onto the ceiling, creating a huge crack on it.

" You Allright, Cara ? " asked Zedd, glancing at the mord sith who wiped the blood on her cheek with the back of her hand.

With a grim smile at the corner of her mouth, she replied without looking at the old wizard. " I'm better than Allright. Today will be the day I kill a wizard. Let's finish this game " and with a long graceful steps, she charged.

" Two against one, eh ?! " Goliath exclaimed. " and you called me dirty ? "

Zedd's short laugh echoed in the chamber for a few seconds. " No. It's two against five, Goliath. You have four spirits trapped under your greediness , and I'm going to set them free." And with that, he lunged forward, only one step behind Cara.

" Die, you both ! " cried the dark wizard, using both his spell and physical force, he returned the attack with two blades on his hands, and suddenly, there were four of him, with the same strengths and speed.

Zedd scowled. " You're not the only one who can do that " Even before he finished, three replicates of himself had been created by a single spell, fairing with Goliath's. Cara paused for a moment. With narrowed eyes, she tried to find which one was the dark wizard's true self.

Another loud rumble shook the place, and a large part of the ceiling fell right on top of the fighting wizards, followed by a thick smoke that clouded the mord sith's vision.

" Zedd ! " she called, stepping carefully forward with full awareness.

Goliath's dirty face came out from the mount of fallen rocks, a winning smile spread across his cheek, but not for long. Zedd called from behind him and again, their spells collided. " Now, Cara ! " he shouted, and Cara charged forward, pressing both her agiels on Goliath's back. The shriek of her agiels followed by the splashes of three different lights zooming out from the dark wizard's body, flying freely outside the falling chamber.

" Now, I'll take it from here " Zedd moved over. " Not so tough without the power from those poor spirits, don't you now, Goliath ? "

Cara pulled back her agiels, while the dark wizard stumbled sideways. Zedd came to her side, with a single wave of his hand, he blocked out another dark spell, this time without so much as an effort. And with his wizard fire that he shot to the ceiling, he buried the dark wizard under the ruins.

" Goodbye, brother " whispered Zedd, turning to the exit. Cara gave a final glance at the ruins before following behind him.

" Brother, you said ? " she asked, coming to a stop one step behind the old wise wizard.

Exhaling sharply, Zedd replied. " We learned from the same Master a very long time ago "

" I suspect as much " Cara said in a whisper. She marched to where she had left Neil, but she stopped short after few steps. Zedd was groaning from behind, and she spun around to find him fell on the ground. Goliath loomed over him, throwing a big heavy rock out from his hand.

" Don't you die yet ? " Cara hissed, drawing both her agiels.

Before neither she and Goliath made a move, Zedd had suddenly pulled himself up and wasted no time throwing his wizard's fire onto his enemy. The flame burned the dark wizard fiercefully, and within seconds, his ashen body fell on the moist ground, a thin white smoke zooming out of him.

" He does, now " Zedd prompted, before dropped on the grass, allowing himself to breath the fresh air and leaned his back on the tree trunk with his eyes closed.

With a huff, Cara kept her agiels back, and turned toward Neil. The boy slumped under the tree, his hands clutched loosely on his wounds, his eyes were closed and his mouth was slightly agape. Slowly, Cara placed a hand on his cold shoulder, and his head fell on her lap. From the icy touch of his skin, she could tell the boy had died for quite awhile.

_Let's hope it's not too late_, she thought as she brought her lips closer to his, and the warm gleam of the breath of life flowed from her into the boy.

Then … nothing.

She waited for a few long minutes and sighed in defeat as the boy showed no sign of revival. But then, he coughed dryly a couple of times, and let out a long gasp as his hands shot to his chest, searching for his own heartbeat.

" I'm alive ! " he gulped, looking at her with wide eyes. " I thought I was dead ! "

Doing her best not to smile, the mord sith turned her back on him, walking toward Zedd who was already on his feet, wiping the trail of blood from the corner of his mouth. " Let's go find Richard and Kahlan " he whispered. Without so much as a nod, Cara walked at his side.

" Hey, wait up ! " cried Neil, running to catch up.

* * *

The second he reached the gate, Richard jumped off the horse, leaping toward the front door. Without so much as a breath, he swung his sword, splitting the heavy door into few parts that flew into the hallway and crashed against the marble floor. The familiar ring from the sword of truth mingled with the red glow created by his fury.

His heavy breathing and the thumping in his chest intensified with the feel of Kahlan's presence nearby. He ran through the hallway toward the big garden that separated the main hall with the rooms on the other side of the palace. Richard grunted loudly as he saw the lining rooms by his right and left.

_Damn ! I don't have time for this !_

Closing his eyes for a split second, he sensed the difference from one of the rooms to the other, and as he opened his eyes, he saw the soft glow of barrier on one of the doors, and with a loud cried of anger, he charged forward, swinging his sword at the thick wooden door. The barrier bounced his attack and he was thrown, his body slammed hard against the cold floor. That only caused him to roar madly, with both hands gripped at the hilt of is sword, he swung it with full force, breaking the barrier. Without a pause, he kicked the door open.

Darius was crouching on top of Kahlan, spreading her legs with his knees when Richard came barging in, holding the glowing sword of truth in his hands. With an absolute anger and a soul ripping murderous gaze fixed upon the man, Richard's roar shook the entire room.

" YOU filthy BASTARD ! Get your dirty hands off HER !!! "


	8. Chapter 8

This is the shortest chapter i've ever wrote. Again, it's unedited. Next chapter will be longer, i have at least 3000 words in it.

Thank you guys, for the reviews, they help enlighten me.

Rosewing86 : cheers for this raw chapter. Oh, i forgot, you know the ending. lol.

Enjoy

**CHAPTER ****8 …………. THE FIRE UNDERNEATH**

" YOU filthy BASTARD ! Get your dirty hands off HER !!! " Richard's angry roar shook the entire room, the sword of truth rang sharply in the thickness of the air, glowing in a bright red light that matched the fire in his eyes. Within the same split seconds, the Seeker pounced madly at the man crouching over Kahlan.

As fast as he could, Darius tried to avoid the attack, but not without having a deep gush on his upper arm as the sharp blade of the sword sliced his flesh. He rolled down onto the floor, and Richard took the chance to wrap the thick sheet around Kahlan's body. Her heavy lids fluttered open as she felt his hands cupping her cheek. " Are you Allright ? are you hurt ? " he asked, barely audible as the words caught in his throat.

Her cold fingers were shaking when she gripped his arms and choked out " Richard … you come " He gave her a faint nod before calming her with a hug, when his own body was also trembling like hers. Sensing a blow from his back, he released her to block Darius's attack, and there was a loud clank as their swords met, sending sparks of fire along the sharp blades.

" Richard, don't let him get a hold on you. " He heard Kahlan's week voice from behind. " He's a _taker_, he will drain your strength " and the next thing, she was finally fell into the darkness she'd been fighting to escape from.

A snarl ripped from Richard's throat as he pushed Darius backward and knock the sword out from his grip. Darius rolled on the floor, and reached for another weapon he hid right under the bed. His eyes darted back at Kahlan as he held her twin blades on his hands.

" Don't – you – dare – to look – at – her ! " Richard growled. Swinging his sword around over his head, he lunged forward with a force enough to break the castle walls. Darius shielded himself by throwing the broken chair onto Richard's face, and it shattered on the floor. The fight would destroy the room if Richard didn't push Darius out with his attack. The two men colliding in the hallway, but they weren't a fair match. As Richard thrust his sword and Darius tried to avoid it, he knocked out one of Kahlan's blade from his grip and it fell on the floor with a clang. Without allowing him to return the attack, Richard hit the man's jaw with his elbow, and he doubled over to the outside yard, his face landed on the dirt.

Struggling to get back on his feet, he grabbed a fistful of sands from the ground and when Richard charged, he spun boldly and threw the sands right onto Richard's eyes. The seeker let out a startled cry, one hand clasped her face while the other swung the sword aimlessly forward. Within the handful second, Darius severed Richard's wrist with Kahlan's blade, and the sword of truth fell from his grip as the thick blood flooded his hand.

Darius wasted no time and gripped Richard's neck tightly, choking him while at the same time draining his strength. "Kahlan is mine ! " He cried against Richard's face, before thrown to the ground with a sickening thud. He reached for the sword of truth, attempting to use it, but the moment he laid a hand on the sword, it burnt his skin with a loud hiss, and he dropped it onto the ground, holding his hand and let out a curse under his breath.

At the very moment Richard held the sword back in his hand, it gave a whipping sound that rang through the air, red light glowed along its blade. The sword of truth synced with the Seeker's emotion and mind, it was full with fury, the same malice reflected in his eyes as he lifted the sword with both hands, roaring madly at his enemy who feared for his life. And with a lightning speed, he swung it forward.

Darius, who was on all four, lifted one hand above his head, surrendering, and the sword stopped right an inch away from his neck, brushing the hair below his ear. Richard stood rooted on the spot, his chest rose and fell heavily, his hands were shaking and his teeth chattering loudly as he tried to get his rage under control.

Under other circumstances, he would have drawn back his sword, but this time he couldn't. Fight as he might, the rage was too strong for him to conquer at the moment, and the will to punish the man was overwhelming. " She … Is – not – yours " he growled through gritted teeth, and before he could do anything to stop himself, he thrust the sword onto Darius's chest, burying it deep into his heart and he watched the horror in the man's eyes as he drew his last breath.

Zedd and Cara had been watching the glimpse of their fight from faraway as their horses galloping, one racing toward another, Neil was left quite far behind he couldn't possibly see what had happened. The horses came into a halt and neighed loudly as their riders jumped off their backs.

Cara stood straight with her eyes fixed on Richard, who was pulling out the sword of truth from Darius's chest with the very same murderous gaze that had not yet leave his eyes. Zedd was slowly approaching with his mouth hanging open. His eyes darted from Richard to Kahlan, who was wavering on her legs at the door frame, covered in a thick sheet.

It was then, that Richard realized she was there, and he spun boldly toward her, running with the blood dripping from the tip of his sword. She stumbled, and he caught her with both hands, the sword fell freely onto the floor, splashing the blood from its blade around the cracked marble and the wild grass at the front.

" It's Allright, I got you " he whispered. " It's over "

* * *

Author's note : No, it's not over yet. Leave me some reviews, i've got another beautiful chapter ahead.

Love,

Lonelylittledevil


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer :  I love LOTS, but i don't own it

Author's note : This will be the last Chapter for this story. I've planned the sequel, but i'm afraid i won't be able to write it down yet. I'll be very busy these few weeks, so I'm not sure i'm gonna write again soon. I hope you enjoy this one, tell me what u guys think about it, ok ?

* * *

**EPILOGUE **

It's nearly afternoon when the ship finally ready. Neil and the villagers have been preparing it since dawn, a big old ship they've been keeping in the deep shore of the island. About a dozen men will be the crews, and Neil will come as well, taking us back to midland as their special thanks and parting gift. Whatever it is, I'm just glad we finally can leave this place and continue our journey. I bet Cara feels the same way. She already waits at the deck with one hand on her hip, watching with narrow eyes as the crew settling the food onto the ship. Now that I see those food, where in the world is Zedd ? and Kahlan, I've seen her walked to the river not so long ago, and she should be back by now. With a frown on my face, i follow her trails back to the river.

I hear the splashing sound of the water and I look out from the bushes quite far from there to find Kahlan bending at the edge of the river, rubbing both her hands with the rushing water again and again, and then she does the same thing with her face as if she cannot stop, and I know exactly what's happening. I feel the very same rage boiling my blood in that instant, watching as she tries to rinse away whatever trails Darius has left there. If I haven't kill that man, I will definitely kill him all over again.

I couldn't stand watching as she scratches her skin to bleed and I nearly call her name when I see Zedd coming over from the other side. She stops short when Zedd places his hand on her arms and pulls her to stand. I listen carefully to what he says.

" Enough, my child. You cannot be much cleaner than you are now " he says. " What is it you worry about ? if it is about Richard, I can say that you shouldn't be. " And he's right. She shouldn't be worrying about me, it's her I'm worry about.

" He always try to save life. And at the moment back there, I saw the darkness in his eyes when he killed that man, just because of me. Look what I've done to him, Zedd. "

I hardly suppress a sigh at her words, and I turn around in reflect, flattening my back against the big tree, hoping they won't know that I've been watching. I should leave, I know. If she doesn't want to tell me what's bothering her, I know I shouldn't be here and let her has her privacy. But spirits only know how hard that is, for not knowing, for seeing her suffers of something she shouldn't be. I can feel the darkness inside me every seconds and every breath I take, it's in my blood, nothing will ever change that or who I am, as I am a Rahl. It's within me, it's a part of me and I wish I can tell her how much her presence has been helping me to control that dark part of me all along. She has to know, I would have gone mad if not because of her. I've never told Zedd how powerful that part is, gnawing and growing and consuming with each life I took in the battles. I never want Zedd or anyone else, especially Kahlan to know how I've been fighting this darkness of mine, because sometimes I loose myself in it. Just like yesterday. I could have spare his life, but I didn't. I killed him, and I feel no regret in it.

With my heart beat's slowing, I listen carefully again. Zedd is saying something I hardly hear, and I turn my head slowly, peeking behind the branches. He's trying to get Kahlan's hair off her right shoulder as she shakes her head and backs away, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, and I finally know why. As her hair falls behind her back, I see the bite mark under her front right shoulder that I haven't see before, and I fight back a snarl, clenching my teeth and fisting my hands so hard with a low cracking sound and I hold my breath, wishing quietly that they cannot hear it. But I can't bring myself to look away when Zedd waves his fingers gently infront of her, and the mark is gone, then he brings her into a hug, letting her spill the tears she's been holding infront of me.

" My whole life…I've seen death and all, but I've never felt so afraid before, and so … humiliated. I was blinded by the warm feeling of meeting someone that shared my past, someone close to a family. I never thought I could be so stupid " she croaks against my grandfather's chest. " If Richard hasn't come, if only he was a little late than he did, then I might … and I would have killed myself, Zedd " she adds in a little whisper, and I let out a curse under my breath. Perhaps I was too generous, giving that man a quick death. I should have sliced him to pieces, or skinned him alive before I stopped his heart from beating.

I have to go. If I stay another minute here, I'm afraid I won't be able to stop myself and run to her. So I decide to leave it to Zedd for now, and I walk back stealthily, trying to put my rage under control. My sword gives a strong vibrate each time this rage burning inside me, and I hold the hilt tightly against my belt, inhaling and exhaling to suppress the fury. _You've killed him, Richard_. I told myself. _You've came at the right time before he did anything further. _Still, I can't get the image out from my head and the worse thing is … I know that Kahlan is more suffering because she knows about it. But does she know what's in my heart ? Does she know that my feelings for her is far beyond love ? It's too much to bear, too complex, no word can ever describe what I truly feel for her, love is one thing, but again, I know it is much more than that.

" We suppose to be leaving now. Where's Kahlan and Zedd ? " Cara calls from my back and I spin boldly at her sudden appearances. Before I can answer, she turns her head to look over my shoulder, and I follow her gaze. Zedd is walking toward us with Kahlan by his left, whatever feelings she has at the moment, whether it is sad, or fright, she hides it well behind her calm expression, eventhough her eyes can't lie.

It takes me a great effort not to jump over and grab her in that instant, telling her that everything's going to be just fine. But she isn't the girl I saw crying in my grandfather's arms back there. The girl standing infront of me right now is a strong independent Confessor, the one that will not break upon any pain or torture. So all I can do is offering her a sincere smile, and say "The ship is ready, we can leave now ".

She nods quietly, and I take her hand in mine, squeezing her soft graceful fingers gently, and we start walking. Cara looks at me with the same look she gave me the first time we came to this place, and I have a sudden urge to tease her, take it as a payback for her comments the other day.

" It looks to me someone will be missing this island. " I said as we walk. Zedd makes no reply, but Cara cocks her head aside, rising an eyebrow at me. She gets it. " I heard that you're getting along pretty well with Neil "

I can hear she hiss as she squares her shoulders. " He tried to save my life "she replies without looking at me.

Kahlan looks at me with questioning eyes, and I smile. Oh, this might light her up a bit. So I continue my attack at the mord sith. " So I've heard, a brave one he is. And you saved him using the breath of life. Tell me, is it just my thought, or you are getting soft hearted ? "

This time she growls and it gets louder as Zedd looks at her with a wide grin I rarely see. Kahlan is looking at her too, and Cara suddenly stops, turning boldly to face me. With a grim look on her face, in a low annoyed tone, she says " I always know it's not healthy to hang out with you people ". And with that, she marches without us. Her hair bouncing wildly on her back. And I chuckle, it's an amusing thing, teasing her. I know she's not a stone hearted lady, she just needs to dig in deeper to understand it herself.

" Beware, my boy. You've just woke a sleeping tiger " Zedd told me humorlessly, and I know that he's right. You don't want to deal with an angry mord sith. Well, I guess that's a risk worth taking, since I see a small smile on Kahlan's lips, and a little sparkle in her eyes.

* * *

When we arrive at the ship, Zedd rushes to the deck, sitting gleefully on the log and grab the food at his front. I let Kahlan goes up first before I catch up behind her. And then we sail, right when the sunset hit the horizon. The compass is still pointing to the west, and there we shall go once we reach the midland, and I'm hoping that in the next journey, we can finally find the stone of tears.

I just realize that I'm still holding Kahlan's hand when Zedd pulls me to sit with him, and I pull her along. Cara is coming with Neil following behind, and she gives me a warning look not to say a word. This time, I oblige. We barely talk during dinner, but I'm glad to see Kahlan finally gets her appetite back. She hasn't really eat a thing since yesterday and I've been so worry about her. As I watch her nibbles at the fresh berries, I couldn't help but smile to see the red juicy fruits add more colors on her glossy lips, and I ask myself 'how is it possible for her to look like that every time ? so beautiful, so tempting, so … dazzling.'

She looks at me clueless and I grin stupidly with the chicken leg dangling on my hand. Even a seeker can be embarrassing sometimes, I admit. But I'm also a man, a man in love who happens to have the duty to save the world, with wars and death breathing under my neck.

Cara has finished her food, and she drinks the plain water in the bamboo cup. I see Kahlan is doing the same, while Zedd still eating I'm not sure what, something with thick gravy that I never touch. " When do you think we will arrive in midland ? " Cara asked, still holding her cup.

" With this speed ? I think we should be arriving tomorrow about midnight. Right, Neil ? " I answered, turning at Neil and he nods, then I turn back to find Cara already stands with her eyes fixed on mine.

" The faster, the better. Right, Lord Rahl ? " and there she adds the name most people fear about, in a tone filled with respect and probably a slight tease. I find her becoming more fond these days, and Kahlan sees it too, they get along pretty well lately, which is good. So I simply nod at her and she walks away to the back side of the ship.

The air is much colder than the first time we sail on this sea, stuffy, but chilling to the bones. There are two cabins that prepared for us, but we all choose to stay above, and let some of the crews use the cabins. We used to live in the wild with dangers at our tail, but these people don't, so I think it's the least we can do. It's getting late, and I see Zedd sits crossed legs with his eyes closed, eventhough I doubt he's asleep. Cara's still awake, determines to listen to Neil's rambling while wearing the very same annoyed look on her face. Yes, it's kind of amusing , really.

On my left, Kahlan's standing motionless with her eyes looking far through the darkness of night, her hands clasped together. The wind blows her dress and caused the material to cling perfectly on her curves. Oh, I really have to put my eyes somewhere else. But I can't.

I know she doesn't want to sleep. She cannot sleep. She's been screaming in her trance the other night, what happened in the island won't be easy for her to forget, and I curse that Darius into the foulest depth of hell for the thousandth times since that day. She closes her eyes and I can hear she exhales deeply, and again, the sorrow clouded her face. What is it she's been thinking ? Will she tell me if I ask ? What is it that makes her hurt ?

I wish things could be a little more simple for both of us. There's nothing I want more in this world than to be with her. But for now, I just want to hold her, wiping the sorrow out from her face, erasing those frowns and sadness. Surely Zedd won't mind, right ?

" Focus on the task ahead, Richard " Zedd says suddenly, opening his eyes only to shut them back again. With my right foot still hanging midway, I count quietly to five and stares at him in disbelief. How does he do that ? Can wizards read minds ?

" Trust me, my boy. Yours not too difficult to predict " He says again, and my shoulders slump. I look over at Kahlan and then Zedd, and in that short seconds, I've made up my mind. I let my heart lead the way, and soon, I'm standing right beside her, trying to see what she's been looking at behind those layers of darkness. The thick clouds slowly parted, revealing the half moon, its light reflected on the wavering water, casting a gloomy circle on the surface. The soft light graces her face and I hold my breath to see her beauty.

Kahlan shifts from my side and sits on the flooring, she's shivering slightly and I sit beside her, circling my arm around her shoulder. " You're cold " I said, pulling her closer, and my heart start to race at the proximity.

" Why don't you sleep ? " she asks, her blue eyes looking straight at mine.

" I'm not sleepy " I lie.

Gently, she places her hand on my cheek and I feel the warmth of her skin in mine. My mind's swirling with dreams, joyous dreams, and my skin's humming with delight. How wonderful the feeling is. I cover her hand with my own and I kiss her palm. Does she always smell like this ? so intoxicating. And I can no longer hold my ground as I cup her face and kiss her, with all the love there is in me, with all the flame of passion that burn inside of me. The familiar jolt strike me and my mind went instantly blank, the weights on my shoulders gone in all sudden, no more pain, no more heavy thoughts as she kisses me back with the very same passion. I'll never get tired of this, all the moments I share with her. I love her with every fiber of my being, and I would do anything for her, I will cross the underworld and get back if that's what it takes to be with her, hell yes I will. I don't know what I would do without her, she's my life, my everything, the very reason of my existence, the very breath I take. I am nothing without her.

I never want this kiss to end, but she pulls back eventually, too fast for my liking. But I see the faint blush on her face and I smile against her hair, breathing her in. I rub her arm gently and she leans in, flattening her palm against my chest. Her touches burn my skin, a pleasure and torture that I'm happily welcome. Zedd is muttering something I couldn't make out, and Cara is looking at us with her arms cross on her chest. I give her the best smile I have, gesturing at Neil beside her and she throws her gaze to the water. I can hardly hide my chuckle as I bring Kahlan closer, holding her tight and I wish I never have to let her go. She closes her eyes and I close mine, we could sleep like this, together.

Or not.

My eyes snapped open and Kahlan's already on her feet, her eyes narrow. In the gloomy light of night, I see four small boats coming closer to our ship, each carrying five to six armed men. Behind those small boats, a big ship is waiting. Pirates !

" Get into the cabins ! " I tell the crews. They are just villagers that never hold weapons, this isn't their fight. So now it's only five of us, since Cara cannot get rid of Neil. The first attack come from her side, and she draws both her agiels, giving no chance to the enemies.

Five men attack me at once, but they're not as tough as their looks. That makes Zedd unbothered, and he chooses to simply sit back, watching us enjoy the little night exercise, pumping up our adrenalins. We can easily overtake them, or kill all of them if we want to. But we don't. I see Cara gets two men fall from the deck and another three crouching in pain by her feet, I dare say they must never have felt the agiels before. Neil uses the soup bowl to crack one man's head, and the boy grins at his success. I took care nine of my men, throwing half of them to the sea, while Kahlan knock out the rest six men.

With her hands at the captain's neck, as her eyes turns inky black, she confesses him. And there lies our absolute triumph. Now I think we can use some sleep before the dawn wakes us.

THE UNEXPECTED QUEST ……. FIN


End file.
